“Living in Contrasts“ – live at Design Post Köln

An inspirational exhibition and an interested expert audience

The sky was full of umbrellas in the entrance to Design Post – in keeping with the grey May weather – but the illumination could not have been better in the impressive exhibition spaces. Guests came from all corners of the world, and they were delighted at the unusual format of Interprint’s presence for 2013.

The staging of colours and contrasts, the décor displays and the “augmented reality” presentation at the start of the tour provided inspiration for the specialist visitors. Interprint décors demonstrated character and told the story of their own development in a way that was easy for the audience to follow. All exhibits were presented as a complete solution with a built-in border and were embedded into the stylish surroundings of Design Post, allowing them to achieve their full visual effect.

In particular the “Six Pack” décors, which were already among the “best ofs” of the Interprint Furniture Days 2012, were very well received in Cologne: Bob’s Pine, Redgate, Battle Rock, Arizona Oak, Katthult and Santhia were the main protagonists among the Interprint décors. The single and mother-of-pearl colours in the shades Nocturno, Giorno and Meta especially impressed the expert audience – in particular when combined with wood décors.

In addition, the “Xelio” range of finish foils was particularly eye-catching. With the exhibits on show – all with realistic-structure optical pores – the visitors had to look several times to understand that they were finish foils and not real wood surfaces. The “Xelio” exhibits allowed visitors to – literally – grasp the authenticity and natural finish that is typical of Interprint products. Innovative “white décors”, whose graphical elements were refined with optical pores, were particularly effective and rounded off the product line perfectly.

Even more product innovations were on show in the form of new surface finishes, as well as options for décors in outdoor applications or eco-friendly design coverings for the flooring sector. These also received strong interest from our international visitors, and there were a number of opportunities for constructive conversations.

Salvatore Figliuzzi, Décor Development & Marketing Manager, described the dialogue with visitors: “We had some exciting conversations in relation to design and technical aspects, and we're sure that these discussions would not have been of the same quality in a different setting. We want to inspire people and share our passion for design with them.”

We want to inspire people and share our passion for design with them.

Already something of a tradition, the Interprint brewery evening showed that the relationship between the Interprint team and its customers and partners is about more than just business. In the “Gilden im Zims” tavern, almost 800 guests from across the industry celebrated with the Interprint staff in a relaxed atmosphere until the early hours.

As the four-day exhibition drew to a close, Interprint – together with Design Post and the “Domus” magazine” – invited architects, designers and planners to a podium discussion. “How much does design need architecture? How much does architecture need design?” Whereas in Germany design and architecture are seen as two distinct disciplines, countries such as Italy and Great Britain have long viewed the two as one integral design requirement. So where do the two disciplines meet? The first German edition of the “Domus” magazine this May served as the occasion for this exciting debate. Some 100 experts followed the discussion, which also continued in exciting chats after the official part finished.

The Interprint presentation in the contemporary surroundings of Design Post Köln highlighted another area of common ground between design and architecture: art! Painter Jutta Torres used the spatial experience as a platform for her exhibits. Contrast-rich motifs in the open-plan hive of activity that is Design Post – “Living in Contrasts” in its purest form!

Holger Dzeia, Managing Director of Sales & Marketing, summed up: “Inspiration is part of our company philosophy. Being inspired, in turn, allows you to provide inspiration. That's how we think and do business at Interprint. With this in mind, our highly motivated, international team has done a great job. The unusual and, above all, creative presentation captured the hearts and minds of the international audience. We are delighted with the huge enthusiasm shown by our visitors.”